Improvement in locks



-UNITnb STATES Arena FETCH@ SAMUEL N. LONG, OF SOUTH OHATHAM, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE OHATHAM LOOK COMPANY, OF SAUCE PLACE.

lh/lPFOVEMEN'l IN LOCKS.

Specilcation forming part of Letters Patent No. 37l35, dated December 9, 1862.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL N. LONG, of South Chatham, in the county of Barnstable and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and Improved Lock; andI do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description ofthe same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, making a part ot this specification, in which- Figure lis an internal view of a padlock constructed according to my invention, the case of the lock and the key being in section, as indicated by the line x a', Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a section of the saine, taken in the line y y, Fig. l.

Similar letters ot' reference indicate correspondin g parts in the two tigures.

This invention consists in constructing the key of the lock with a sliding bit, and having the pin or pintle, on which the key turns in locking and unlocking the lock, or' such a shape as to forni a cain, which, as the key is turned, will throw out the bit and cause the latter to act upon the bolt, which is constructed of a series oftumblers. The key-hole of the lock is of such a length as only to admit the bit of the key when it is shoved inward, and consequently the lock cannot be opened by a key having a rigid or fixed bit which can enter the keyhole, as said bit would be too short to reach the bolt.

The object of the invention is to obtain a lock of very simple construction, which will be difficult to pick, and capable or' being constructed at a small cost.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct my invention, I will proceed to describe it.

A represents the case of a padlock, which may be of the usual i'orm, and provided with the ordinary bow or shackle B.

C represents the bolt of the lock, which is composed of a series of sliding tumblers, a, which are slotted longitudinally, as shown at I), and itted on two stirrups or guidefpins, c c. The tumblers a have springs el bearing against their back ends, and these springs have a tendency to keep the front ends e of the tumblers in the eye foi' the bolt or shackle,

so that the latter will be retained within the case and the lock kept in a 'nlocked state, as will be fully understood by referring` to Fig. l.

D represents a pin or pintle, which is secured within the case A, and in such a relative position with the key-hole g of the lock as to receive the tube IL of the key E when the latter is inserted in the case. This pin or pintle D is not ot cylindrical form throughout its entire length. It is hollowed out ato ne side, as shown clearly at af in Fig. 2, so as to approximate to an elliptical form, as shown in Fig. l. The keyE is provided with an extension-bit, l". This bit is formed of two parts, fi j, the part t being permanently attached to or cast with the tube IL of the key, and the other part, j, being provided with a shank, 7c, which is tted iu the part i and allowed to slide freely therein. The keyhole g is made of such a length that it will admit of the bit F passing through it only when the part j is in contact with the part fi, and when the tube h of the key passes on the pin or pintle D the side a of the latter, which is the side that is cut or hollowed out, will receive the inner end of the shank 7c of the sliding partj ot' the bit F. When, however, the key is turned to act upon or throw back the turnblers a, the part j of the bit will be forced out, owing to the inner end of the shank 7c being acted upon by the prominent part a of the pin or pintle D, (see Fig. 1,) and the part j is thereby thrown out sufciently far to act upon the tumblers and throw them back out of the eye j' of the bolt or shackle. This re sult could not be obtained if the part j were not forced out. A key, therefore, provided with a rigid or xed bit that will enter the key-hole g, cannot act upon the tuinblers a. The sliding part j of the bit f is notched or serrated, so as to correspond with shoulders l on the bits a, said shoulders being at difterent heights. This arrangement increases the difliculty of picking.

This invention is applicable to different kinds of locks as well as to padlocks, and when applied to the latter I design to have a small hole, m, drilledinto the lower part of the case A to let out water which will beat into au extension-bit, F, and a oem-shaped pin or may be slotted, as shown at n, and have e pin pintle, D, or its equivalent, all arranged as o, pass through it to serve as a guidebar, j. and for the purpose herein set forth.

Havino thus described my invention Wha-t I claim s new, and desire to secure 1337 Let- SAMUEL N LONG' ters Patent, is

The bolt C, formed of a series of tumblers, a, in combination with a, key provided with Jshe oase during storms. The part. 7' of the bit Witnesses IsAAo B. YOUNG, KIMBALL ELDRIDGE. 

